Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-30
CHRISTMAS.
When the Day Was First Celebrated
How 1t Was Made a Fixed fes-
tivaI--Date of Christ's Birth
Unknown.
Many Of Our Sports and Games Trace
able 60 Heaihen Origin-Gift Civ
Ing Comes from the Romans.
The British Druids Contribute Decoration
Our Santa Claus and Christmas Tree
Come from Germany.

It is now 1889 years since the birth OF
the Saviour of mankindlwas celebrated for
the first time after that glorious morning,
1887 years ago, when in rude stable in
Bethlehem of Judes, E babe was born
whom kings and wise men fell down be.
fore and worshIped. Christmas was
first kept as holiday A. D. SO. Its name
was derived from Christ and the Saxon
masse, or mass, and the two words were
combined to denote q special service in
honor of the birth of the Son of God.
For the first three centuries Christmas
was one of the most movable of all re-
ligious festivals. The exact date Of the
Saviour's nativity was very uncertain,
and the Eastern church observed the 9Th
of January as the anniversary of both His
birth and circumcision. But in the fourth
century, Pope julius L. ordered an investi-
CATION of the matter, and after long de-
liberation the theologians of both the
east and west united in appointing De-
cemher % to be kept as Christ's birth
day.
We have no means, however, of deter
mining the exact date of the SaViour's ma
tivity. The statement that the date was
preserved in the public archives at Rome,
though asserted by some of the early
fathers is not now generally credited. As
to the year, the preponderance OF opinion
and Of such evidence as we have seem to
favor that of 4 or B. c.. AS to the
month, December is the height Of the
rainy season in Judes, and therefore the
3d. d<at In fhn Too tor ont
that shepherds were watching their focks
on its plains while stars were shining in
the heavens on the night of the Saviour's
birth, make it extremely unlikely that it
could have occurred in that month. Many
learned treatises have been written and
plausible arguments advanced to prove
that it must have taken place in October,
but the question will ever remain in abey-
ance.
1t seams not improbable that in select
ing December % ss the date Of the great
est event save one-the crucifxion-in
the worlds history, the worthy fathers
were Influenced by desire 10 supplant
the many heather festivals OF the winter
solstice, such as the SaturDalia or great
Festival of Saturn and Ops, which began
on the 19.h of December Cor, after
C2 IEr'S reformation of the calendar, on
the l7tb) snd continued for seven dsys.
This presumption is made more probable
from the fact that for many centuries the
festivities of Christmss were prolonged
till Twelfth Night" January 6, AID even
till "Candlemss Day." February 2, while
they usually began as early as the night
before san Saints Day" or "Hsllow
EVe," thus showing the de-
sire to make the heather converts
to Christianity feel that they had
lost nothing in harmless pleasure and en-
joymenU by the substitution of the Chris
tian festival of the winter solstice for the
heather one. Not only did he Romans
observe this period of The year as time
of mirth and rejoicing. The ancient
Celtic and Germsntc races did the came.
The Germans, especially, were then &C
customed 10 mold great feasts, OF which
the most prominent continued during the
twelve days from December % to January
G. They believed that throughout that
time their great Deities moved about the
eSrth, and that, though invisible, their
personal movements could be readily
traced.
By the celebration Of Christmas, with
its grand liturgy, its magnificent
music and its pictorial and
dramatic representations of the principal
events in the life of Him whose birth it
concentrated, the church sought to re-
place these heather festivities and to lift
up the minds of the people to something
higher and holier, but many of the old
heather festive usages were to 6 certain
extent christispizsd, and not few of
them have survived even down to our
own time. Indeed, SO much is this the
case that many OF our most distinctively
Christmas customs, sports and games
can be distinctly traced to heather
origin.
The day was regarded from the first
both as holy cOmmemoration OF q most
sacred event and as mirthful, joyous
festival, but in the middle ages the fes-
tive ebservances of the day often SO far
over-topped its more sacred features that
the clergy were frequently compelled to
check the unseemly merfiment Of their
focks. All persons, old and young, were
called the December liberties"
wild gsmbols, FRANKS and
msssuer.des Of the most ex-
travag:nt and burlesque character, il
which everything and everybody were
sbsuroly satirized and burlesqued.
AT the G Christmas dinners OF the old
feudal b6rons the first dish brought to
table was q huge boar's head, having
lemon placed in lis mouth. 1t was car
ried in great state the whole length OF the
immense banQueting hall upon massive
silver pls tier borne by the major domo OF
the household, attended by large num-
Der of servants aud vassals, and was
placed before the lord Of the manor at
the head of the festive board with gre at
pomp and ceremony. 1t was followed by
great trencbers of beef, venisor, pork,
mutton, turkeys, cspons, hens, geese,
ducks, plum puddings, nuts, sugar, and
honey, and monstrous bowls of punch
and wessail. Then came Christmas
sports and games of many kinds, the fes-
tivities being presided over by q
specially appointed officer Of the
household called the Lord of Mfsrule, or
the Abbott of Unreason, who reigned su-
preme from Hallow Eve" October 81,
TO Condemns Day." February 2.
Prominent among these Christmas di-
versions we're "Snep Dragon" game
which consisted in trying to snatch rails
ms from burning brands and place them
In ones mouth without dropping them;
''Hot Cookies" in which blindfolded
person was struck by the other members
OF the company and required to guess the
name OF each person dealing him blow,
and "Mumming," which consisted of an
exchange of garments between men and
women, who thus attired in the habili-